


ʻO ka hopena o ka laina (The end of the line)

by Consultingwesen



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brainwashing, Captain America: The Winter Soldier crossover, Chin is Hawkeye, Danny is the Winter Soldier, F/M, Grace is Iron Man, Hurt Danny, Kono as Black Widow, M/M, POV Danny "Danno" Williams, Past Rachel Edwards/Danny "Danno" Williams, Pre-Slash, Rachel's long dead by the time this story happens, Steve is Captain America, This wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it, Wo Fat and his crew is HYRDA, god i haven't written in forever, mild descriptions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 23:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Consultingwesen/pseuds/Consultingwesen
Summary: Danny Williams fell from the train in 1945 while attempting to capture HYDRA's elite scientist, Dr. Victor Hesse. Steve McGarrett could only reach out, helpless, as he watched his best friend fall to his death.But Danny did not meet an icy fate. Instead he is captured by Hesse and HYDRA to be brainwashed and turned into the Winter Soldier, HYDRA's deadliest weapon.Now, almost 70 years into the future, HYDRA's soldier is awoken once more. His mission: elimitate Governer Jameson before she can alert McGarrett and his Supers Taskforce 5-0 of Wo Fat and HYDRA's existence in the shadows. However familiar faces will bombard the Soldier, causing him to question everything he's ever known.Will Danny be able to escape Wo Fat's clutches and shake decates of programing/brainwashing, or will Steve be forced to fight his once best friend in his quest to end HYDRA once and for all?





	ʻO ka hopena o ka laina (The end of the line)

**Author's Note:**

> So this popped into my head one day while at work and I couldn't stop writing until it was finished. I haven't posted anything to AO3 in years, so hopefully this isn't complete trash lol.  
> There is some pre-slash McDanno at the end, but Danny's still recovering so that boy isn't going to get any sort of action anytime soon.
> 
> This is set sometime in the early seasons.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> Warnings for mild torture (nothing too graphic) and brainwashing.

He was falling.

 

Someone was screaming his name as he headed towards his icy grave.

There was pain, and cold, and then nothing.

 

* * *

 

Next, he was being dragged. The sinister face of Dr. Victor Hesse floated above him.

"Ah, Sgt. Williams, you're awake good. I want to hear your screams."

More pain. He shouldn't scream but he does anyways. Steve'll find him, save him. He has to.

 

They cut off his arm, a metal one replaces it.

 

Hesse returns, a red book in his hands. "You will be the fist of the new HYDRA."

Like hell he will.

"Wipe him, we need a blank slate to program."

 

No, no, nononono-

More pain, then nothing.

* * *

 

He is the Soldier. He has no other name. His purpose is to serve Wo Fat, to help shape the century in HYDRA and the Yakuza's favor.

There is blood on his hands, so much innocent blood. Sometimes that bothers him, but he can't ever recall why.

They cryo-freeze him when he is not needed. Sometimes he spends decades asleep.

 

Sometimes he gets flashes. A man in uniform, whose smile could light up cities. A little girl, she calls him Danno, with pig tails and eyes who hold the world.

But as soon as these flashes happen, he is wiped again. He is a weapon, not a person. Weapons don't have feelings, don't have memories, or families.

 

Once, he has to hunt down a nuclear physicist. The physicist has info about HYDRA and needs to be silenced.

There's a Hawaiian girl, in a skin clad leather suit, standing in his way. He shoots the scientist through her. Part of him hopes that she'll put him out of his misery, but he escapes with a successful mission. He can't remember why he wanted to be stopped.

 

He's awake once more. The process is the only familiar in his life. Pain is the first thing to return to him, then smell, hearing, sight is the last thing to return. They wipe him in his chair, the gag muffling his screams. They say the year is 2010. He has no concept of time, so the year means nothing to him.

He is being sent to Hawaii, apparently the governor has lived out her usefulness for Wo Fat. He is to leave no trace for Hawaii's supers task force to find. All in all, it should be an easy mission for the Soldier to complete.

Something nags him in the back of his mind about Hawaii. It meant something to him at one point... or meant something to someone he once cared about. That can't be though. The soldier has no one close to him. He is a weapon nothing more. 

He hates Hawaii the moment he steps foot onto the island. It's harder to blend in here. Locals sneer at him, call him haole. He passes as a tourist though, so getting into the governor's office is a cake walk.

 

Except. Someone else is there.

Someone...familiar.

 

A man in a uniform. So familiar it makes the Soldier's heart ache. The man is confronting the Governor about her connections to Wo Fat.

The Governor doesn't get a chance to answer, the Soldier's rifle silencing her before she can speak.

 

The man is fast, so fast he manages to catch up with him.

They fight, and for once the Soldier has an equal in combat.

More people form a perimeter around him and the man. This must be Hawaii's supers task force. He vaguely recognizes the woman; she must have quite a scar if she was able to survive his bullet. But none attempt to approach him, only merely hold the perimeter so no civilians can be hurt.

The man manages to knock of his mask. They make eye contact. The man freezes, his eyes widening in shock.

 

"Danno?"

 

The Soldier frowns. "Who the hell is Danno?" Before knocking the man down while he's distracted. 

There's a gasp from behind him. He turns to face a woman. She has brown hair, and brown eyes. There are tears in her eyes, and suddenly he's thrown into a memory. A little girl stares back at him, teary-eyed. Gracie.

The woman reaches, as if to grab his hand, but stops mid-way. He's thrown out of the memory by the sound of footsteps behind him.

He flees before the woman can say a word to him. He's terrified of what she would have said.

 

Later he finds himself dissociating in what can only be memories. The man is back, this time smiling at him. The little girl is on his shoulders, hands in his hair to guide him to where she wants to go.

 

_"Faster Danno! We're gonna miss the show."_

_He laughs. "Don't worry Monkey, we're almost there."_

_The man nudges him. "Yeah Danno, common. We're only on leave for tonight, let's make the best of it while we can."_

_He rolls his eyes,_

 

A slap to his face takes him forcefully out of the memory. Wo Fat stands in front of him.

 

"The man and the woman. Who are they?”

Wo Fat frowns at him. "They are merely members of the supers task force, nobodies."

But... "But I knew them." He sounds like a lost child. He feels like a lost child.

Wo Fat glares at him, mind calculating. "Prep him, he's been out of cryo for too long he needs to be wiped."

No, please no. The gag is shoved into his mouth. Please. He doesn't want to forget. He doesn-

* * *

 

He is punished for his failure. The Governor may be dead, but the task force knows he exists.

 

* * *

 

He has another mission. Commander Steve McGarret. Navy SEAL and super soldier. Alias: Captain America. Hawaii 5-0's leader. Thorn in Wo Fat's side.

Wo Fat wants him dead. Without McGarret the supers task force will crumble, and HYDRA can continue to operate in the shadows.

 

He is briefed on all of the task forces' members.

Kono Kalakaua. Black Widow. Elite agent and spy.

Chin Ho Kelly. Hawkeye. World's best marksman.

Dr. Max Bergman. Hulk. Pacifist doctor with anger management issues. Never sees combat.

Grace Williams. Iron Woman. Genius, billionaire, philanpiltrist.

 

He stares at William's photo the longest. He can't shake the feeling that he knows that woman. McGarret too, if he thinks about it.

It doesn't matter. He's the solder, he doesn't get to have feelings or wants. He will complete his mission, like a good weapon.

 

He almost succeeds in killing McGarret. But the super SEAL was merely bait for a trap he fell for like a fool.

Wo Fat will not be pleased.

 

He sits in a cell that is clearly designed to hold something stronger than him, his arms locked away in metal binders. He can hear whispers of Hawaii's task force, standing a few feet from his cell, as they figure out what to do with him. McGarrett and Williams are upset. Kelly is attempting to placate then with little success.

There's a file on the screen of the task force's super computer. Sergeant Daniel Williams B. 1917 D. 1945. The Soldier looks at the picture accompanied by the file and... it's him. How could that be? There's another picture, he's in uniform next to McGarrett. McGarrett is smirking while the Soldier is giving the camera an exasperated look.

 

Suddenly the Soldier wasn't in the 5-0 offices. He was in an ally way. McGarrett is in front of him, sporting a black eye. There's a guy on the ground unconscious.

_"Hey. What'd I tell ya about fighting my battles, huh Steve?" McGarrett gives him a grin. "Sorry D, but I couldn't ignore what he was sayin." The Soldier-Danny- rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, tell that to my ma when she fusses over your black eye at dinner tonight." McGarrett winces, at the thought of Danny's ma fussing. "Okay okay. I get your point D. But the guy deserved it. He was spouting off shit about you and your family." Danny softened. "Hey, Steve. People are always gonna talk. I don't let 'em get to me, neither should you."_

He's suddenly on a gurney, staring at a brick wall.

_"Sergeant Daniel Williams 32557038" He's mumbling, his brain hazy._

_"Danny." Suddenly McGarrett is in front of him, horror in his eyes._

_"Steve" Danny can't believe his eyes._

_"I thought you were dead" Steve says, working the restraints off of him._

_"I thought you were smaller." Was the first thing that pops into Danny's head. Steve's taller, stronger, than he remembers._

_Steve helps Danny up, and he's engulfed into a hug._

 

There's a banging that startles the Soldier out of the memory (?). He flinches, making himself seem as small as possible. Maybe Wo Fat wouldn't be as vicious if he submitted right away. But looking up it isn't Wo Fat in front of the glass but Kalakaua. Right, he's in 5-0's HQ. The Black Widow is staring at him, her face an unreadable mask as she analyzes him.

 

He holds himself stiffly, meeting her eyes blankly. He can't lose focus here in front of the enemy. He's HYDRA's weapon, not a person, he can't have any memories or feelings. (No matter how badly he may want them.)

Kalakaua doesn't say a word, but she doesn't need to. She saw his weakness, he's at a disadvantage. McGarrett walks over to stand next to her, his eyes on the Soldier. His arm is in a sling, the only evidence of the fight for his life earlier today.

 

"You know me." McGarrett speaks into the comm.

The Soldier nods. "You're Commander Steve McGarrett, also known as Captain America." His voice sounds robotic even to him. "You're my mission."

McGarrett's eyebrows raise. "Mission?"

"Yes." The Soldier is curt. He knows he's at a disadvantage. Maybe if he plays along, he'll find an opportunity to flee.

"On who's orders?"

 

The Soldier knows better than to answer that question.

 

"I suggest you answer the man." Kalakaua speaks, her voice harsh.

Heh, like this little interrogation would rattle the Soldier. He knows fear, and it's nothing like this. This is child's play.

 

"Is it Wo Fat?"

The Soldier flinches at that name, he tries to hide it but McGarrett and Kalakaua both see it.

McGarrett's features soften. "Look... I want to help you. Da-" He coughs, hiding the slip of the name. "I'm guessing you're not exactly working for Wo Fat voluntarily."

The Soldier paled, memories of pain and screams filling his head.

 

"You cooperate with us and you'll get 5-0's full protection. We want to bring down Wo Fat and his Yakuza, and with your information we believe we have a good chance at achieving that." Kalakaua finishes.

 

That... he can't even fathom a life outside of Wo Fat's thumb. But to not go back, never be wiped again. Never have to... But could he. Wouldn't that go against everything he'd been taught. Yet... McGarrett’s eyes met him almost pleadingly. He knew this man, somehow in memories he cannot access. Something deep in his subconscious wants to trust him. Maybe...

"Danny." The Soldier tilts his head at McGarrett, confused. "Err, sorry. I- What do you call yourself?"

No one had ever asked him that before. They'd always call him 'the asset', 'the Soldier', 'the weapon'.

"Nothing." He whispers. "I... they call me Soldier..."

Kalakaua swore under her breath. "What do you want to be called?"

"I... I don't know." He admits, flinching at the anger across of McGarrett's face. But it's gone quickly. "How about you think about it? And you can let us know." McGarrett offers.

The Soldier nods, anything to change the subject.

 

"Will you help us?"

Will he? McGarrett knows him, it could be his only chance to find the truth to who he once was. He nods, noticing the relief on both supers' faces.

"If you're going after Wo Fat, you don't want to Yakuza. They're nobodies, a front." He supplies.

"Who do we want then? Who is Wo Fat working with?"

"Not with, running. Wo Fat is the head of HYDRA."

Both supers paled. "No, HYDRA was destroyed. I made sure HYDRA was destroyed." McGarrett argued.

The Soldier shook his head. "HYDRA has been operating in the shadows for decades."

"This is something the rest of the team needs to know Steve. I'll go get them." Kalakaua rushes towards the office where Kelly and Williams are situated. McGarrett watches her go, his face unreadable.

 

 "How do you know me?"

The question startles McGarrett and he turns to face the Soldier. "I... you don't remember me, at all?"

The Soldier shrugs. "I feel like I should but... all I have is glimpses."

"What do you remember?"

"Not much... they usually wipe me once they remove me from cryo. I start remembering things the longer I'm out."

The Soldier can hear McGarrett's teeth clench. "They wipe you?" He nods. "Jesus. I'm so sorry."

"S ‘not your fault." 

McGarrett opens his mouth but turns around and storms away instead. The Soldier watches, wishing he could wrap his arms around himself in a pathetic attempt of comfort.

* * *

He's left alone for a while after that. They do remove his arms from the metal cuffs, so he is free to roam his cell. Until Williams walks up to his cell, a frown on her face.

"Steve says you don't remember anything."

He nods, not sure where Williams was going with this.

"DNA just came back a match..." She mutters to herself. "Would you like to know?"

He nods, no hesitation. "Please."

Williams presses on the glass and a screen lights up. The door opens and he steps backwards as she lets herself into his cell.

 

"Your name is Sergeant Daniel Williams. You served with the 107th in WW2 alongside Commander Steven McGarrett. You were childhood friends, ever since Steve moved to New Jersey from Hawaii after his mother died. You met a girl, Rachel Edwards, got hitched and then Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. You and Steve both enlisted. Steve was denied while you were accepted and then you got captured behind enemy lines. Steve signed himself up for project Rebirth, became Captain America, and saved you when he rescued over 200 POWs. You came home on leave, got Rachel pregnant and got to see your baby girl born before having to head back out."

Something clicked in the back of his head. "You're that baby girl, aren't you?"

Williams nodded; he could see tears threatening to escape. "Yeah, I was 5 when they said you died. Apparently while you were POW, they gave you a version of the super soldier serum it's in your DNA. When I was born, part of that was passed down to me. It's slowed my aging significantly."

He shivered, suddenly cold. A name appeared on his lips, where it came from he had no idea. "Monkey..."

Williams looked up, shocked. "How'd..."

He shrugged. "I'm... not sure. There's bits and pieces locked inside my mind somewhere but I dunno how to remember."

"Max's coming down tomorrow. He'll be able to look you over and see what we can do to help." She hesitates. "I- can I hug you?"

 

He freezes, surprised by the question. Why would anyone want to hug him? But he looks at Williams (his daughter!) and he knows there's no way he'd even be able to tell her no, so he nods.

She engulfs him in what's probably the best (and only) hug he can remember. Her touch was like a balm on his soul, and he can feel himself begin to shake.

"M' sorry." He whispers, burying his face into her neck.

"Oh Danno." She soothes. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

* * *

"Mr. Williams." He lifts up his head to look at the man in front of him from his bed. He hadn't slept much during the night, too many nightmares/memories kept him awake and jittery.

The small man entered his cell, a brief case in his hands. Ah, this must be the Dr. Bergman that's supposed to visit him this morning. For someone who turns into a raging green monster, he appeared to be very calm and non-dangerous.

"I am Dr. Max Bergman, but you may call me Max."

He nods to Max in greeting, not really feeling up to speech quite yet. He'd spoken more yesterday than he could ever remember, usually his handlers preferred him silent.

"First things first, I want to do a complete physical so that I know what to base my data off of. Then we'll see if we can't unlock some of your memories."

Max chatted as he opened the door, motioning for the Soldier to follow.

He did as he was asked and positioned himself behind the Doctor and a little to the right. He looked around in awe of the HQ, he'd never seen an area with so much technology in one spot.

 

The doctor led him into what seemed to be a medical ward, before patting the bed nearest him. "If you could please have a seat on this bed and remove your shirt, we'll begin.

He complied; motions almost mechanical.

Max winced in sympathy when his metal arm was exposed. The doctor's hand hovered near but did not touch. "May I?"

He nodded, and Max began to gently examine where metal met skin. He hid a wince at the contact, unused to people touching him.

 

"Does this area hurt?" Max asked, looking him in the eye.

He shrugged. It did hurt, sometimes he'd get a ghost of pain that he learned to work around. But it never was deemed a concern by his handlers, so he'd never thought about it before. Max raises his eyebrows in concern, waiting for the Soldier to give an actual answer.

He looked down at the floor. "S ‘not really important. It's just pain." He finally admitted, hoping that Dr. Bergman would leave it at that.

But his comment only raised Max's concerns. "If you're in pain, it's important to me." The Soldier jerked his head up, eyes widening in surprise before narrowing suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why's it important to you?" He asked defensively. If this doctor had ulterior motives, he needed to know now.

Max raised his hands placatively. "Easy. I'm a doctor, I took the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. Seeing people in pain saddens me, and if I can help lessen some of that pain then all the better."

"Oh." Is all he can say. No one has ever been concerned about his pain before.

 

Max smiles reassuringly at him, before patting his leg. "Now, is it just your arm where the pain is?" At his nod, the doctor continues. "Is it a constant thing, or rarely?"

"Constant." He admits.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being none and 10 being the highest, how would you rate this pain?"

He shrugged again, earning a frown from the doctor. "I dunno, I haven't really thought about it before..." He drifted off, lost in thought. "I guess maybe a 6, sometimes an 8?"

Max's eyes widen at that and he feels guilty. "It's not that bad doc, honest. I'm used to it, it doesn't even really bother me anymore."

The doctor's eyes soften as he looks at him, the Soldier shifting uncomfortably as if Max can see his very soul.

"Just because you're used to it, doesn't mean it isn't bad. I need to take some x-rays, but I think with Ms. Williams's help we can develop something a lot more user friendly than your current arm."

 

Wait... user friendly? He was confused. Why would it matter if his arm is user friendly, or if it caused him pain?

"I don't understand..."

"Understand what?"

"Why go through the trouble of developing me a new arm? Mine works just fine right now."

"Maybe so, but the arm is causing you pain. If we design you a new arm, it wouldn't cause the pain this one does. Wouldn't it be nice to not be in constant pain?" Max asks softly, as if he's speaking to a child.

He certainty felt like a child right now. No pain would be nice. It's something he never thought would be possible. He nods slowly to the doc, too overwhelmed to speak.

"Then that settles it. Let me take those x-rays then we'll continue with the exam."

 

The rest of the exam goes by quickly, with the doctor speaking only to ask questions. ("Does this scar hurt? How do your joints feel? Do you receive many headaches?") It's confusing and overwhelming how much Dr. Bergman cares about him. But he's not complaining, it feels...nice.

"Now, lastly I want to discuss your memory loss. Commander McGarrett mentioned that you would be wiped?"

He nods, unsure where the Doctor is heading with this line of questioning.

"Could you go into more detail about how that's done. I believe there's a good chance your memory will come back naturally, but to confirm I need to know how they wiped you."

The Soldier tenses. "There's a chair they strap me to. I'm given a mouth guard. They put something cold and metal on my head, one part on the left side, and the other on the right that wraps slightly over my forehead. After that..." He shrugs. "After that there's pain and then... nothing." His hands clench at the memory of pain from his wiping.

Max is silent allowing him time to recompose himself for a few minutes. He appreciates the time but finds himself starting to zone.

 

He's startled when a blanket is placed around his frame, looking up to meet McGarrett's worried face. Huh, he was shaking when did he start to shake? When did McGarrett get here?

"I'm truly sorry that you were put through that ordeal." Max finally speaks. "I need to do an MRI, but that can wait for another day."

He shakes his head. "No... I-I'm okay. I want to get it over with."

Max nods. "Very well. It shouldn't take more than an hour, then you'll be free to go."

* * *

After the MRI he finds himself being escorted by McGarrett to another part of the HQ. Apparently, there's a kitchen/dining area just for the supers task force. McGarrett guides him to a seat before taking the seat across from him after grabbing them food.

He picks at the food, not entirely hungry but not willing to turn down a meal freely given. He can feel McGarrett's eyes on him, watching him.

"So, Max thinks that your memories will return on their own." McGarrett starts. "That the electricity wipe they used is only temporary, which is why they wiped you so often, and combined with your strong will you'll begin to remember in the next few weeks. We don't know if you'll ever fully regain all of your memories... but he stressed it's going to take time." McGarrett sounded frustrated with that last part.

He nods, looking down at his food.

"I've talked to the rest of the team, and we're in agreement. As long as one of us is with you, you're free to roam Iolani Palace."

 

The Soldier looks up surprised. "I'm guessing that person is going to be you?" He deflects, wanting to hide his shock that they're letting him out of his cell.

McGarrett shrugs. "I'd like for it to be, heaven knows that Grace would also gladly volunteer, but that's up to you."

 

Huh, okay then not the answer he was expecting.

 

Before conversation continued, Kalakaua approached the table. "Boss, everyone's gathered in the war room. We're ready for both of you."

McGarrett nodded. "Great. Kono can you take D-- sorry our guest to the war room? I'll join you as soon as I'm done cleaning up here."

Kalakaua nods, ignoring McGarrett's slip, and motions for the Soldier to follow him.

 

He stands, giving McGarrett a nod, before following Kalakaua. Once out of the room, she turns and faces him. "I wanted to give you a heads up, the acting Governor will be a part of this meeting. And he's not too pleased with your presence at this time."

The Soldier nods. That tends to happen when you assassinate their predecessor.

"However, nothing is going to happen. We were serious about 5-0 protection, that includes people like the acting Governor who wants an escape goat for recent events."

 

Shit, this meeting isn't going to be fun.

 

"The security feed has mysteriously been erased, so the only person who knows what happened that night is Steve. And he'll give you up over his dead body, so you have nothing to worry about."

He stops, and Kalakaua raises an eyebrow at him.

"Why? I tried to kill him two days ago and assassinated the Governor three days ago. Why, what makes me so..."

"Special?" Kalakaua finishes. He nods, crossing his arms.

She sighs, rubbing her face. "Steve is a very stubborn man. And before you were the Winter Soldier, you were someone he cared a great deal about. I doubt he'll be willing to let that go without a fight."

 

Oh. He did read the file Williams gave him. But it's one thing to read about his (apparent) history with McGarrett, and another to experience it firsthand.

 

"As for the rest of us. Well Grace has a chance to have her father back. And Chin and I trust Steve. If he thinks you're worth it, then that's all that matters to me."

Kalakaua nodded at him, not needing for him to verbally respond, before resuming the walk to the war room. He followed behind her, lost in thought with the new information she's given him.

* * *

The meeting went about as well as he thought it would go. He gave 5-0 everything he had on Wo Fat and HYDRA. McGarrett's eye twitched at the mention of Dr. Hesse still alive and doing nefarious deeds. And more importantly, he was able to give them someone they could easily scare into flipping. Sang Min. A sleazy rat who only looked out for himself. You get to him and he'll sing like a canary with the rest of Wo Fat's operations.

But once he had finished spilling his guts, acting Governor Denning dropped the other shoe. He wanted the Soldier locked up, high security, never to see the light of day again, to answer for his crimes. Which, admittedly, were a lot.

McGarrett's face scrunched up at that, and Williams looked like she may murder the acting Governor herself. After that was an explosive argument like none other.

 

He was called a "monster" and "menace to society" (which he found he couldn't disagree with). Denning thought him incapable of reform, forever a heartless weapon. And that's the treatment the Soldier had been expecting when he took 5-0's deal. Everything Denning said only solidified his opinion of himself, McGarrett and the others would probably see reason and agree with Denning. Something in his stomach twisted at that thought.

But the Soldier was surprised once more when Kelly took his hand and led him out of the War Room. Kalakaua, followed behind them leaving Williams and McGarrett to argue with Denning. Kelly still had ahold of his hand and Kalakaua placed a petite hand on his back as the two led him towards the living area and onto a couch.

The two cousins sat across from him, silently watching the Soldier with blank expressions. He didn't speak, instead opting to cross his arms (he wasn't comforting himself not at all) and stare blankly at the floor.

 

Kelly sighed. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep digging your nails into your hand."

He shrugged but unclenched his hand. He hadn't realized he had been doing the act, but his hand now had little nail marks.

"Kono, why don't you grab some water and get the coffee started? Lord knows that Grace and Steve are going to need some once they're done in there." Kalakaua squints at Kelly but leaves to do as he asks.

He doesn't make eye contact with Kelly. The archer obviously has something he wants to tell the Soldier, but he wasn't about to attempt small talk with the man.

 

Turns out he didn't need to bother, for Kelly cleared his throat after a minute of silence. "You know that Denning's just taking out his frustrations on you. Give him some time to stew and reflect and he'll be singing a different tune."

He shrugs at that. "He didn't say anything that wasn't true." As far as the Soldier was concerned, Denning's reaction was the least confusing event of the day.

Kelly raised his eyebrows. "Brah, you better not let McGarrett hear that."

He doesn't say anything to that, he doesn't know what to say, and Kelly resumes staring at him. If the archer stares any harder he’s afraid the man will strain his eyes. Then Kelly does something surprising. The man sighs as he places a hand on the Soldier's leg.

He looks up, meeting Kelly's eyes, in surprise.

"You know, a few years ago we had a revengeful Asgardian try to tear up Oahu. Apparently, the god of mischief was upset he wasn't king of Asgard so he wanted to rule Earth instead. The guy had this scepter with a stone on it. When he touched someone with the tip it put that person in some sort of spell. They were completely under his control, no way to fight it. He got me during our first encounter. Don't really remember much, it's all a haze, but next thing I know Kono's whacked my head really hard and I've lost several days." Kelly pauses, taking a deep breath. "To this day I still have no idea who I hurt while under his control, they refuse to tell me. But once the dust settled the World Security Council wanted my head for everything that had happened. And at the time, I thought I deserved it. Took a heavy ass beating from Kono and Steve to make me realize that what happened wasn't my fault."

The Soldier felt himself freeze as Kelly meets his gaze. "I had no control while under his spell. It wasn't really me, and therefore I was not responsible for any of my actions during that time. Sometimes it still doesn't feel like it, but it's the truth. Steve's told me a little of what's going on with you. And it sounds to me that you were under Wo Fat's, and HYRDRA's, control. What you've done, what they've made you do, isn't on you. That's on HYDRA, and HYDRA only. You're free from Wo Fat's thumb now, what you do from here on is your choice. And considering you're here helping us bring HYDRA down, that says something. That's not something a heartless weapon would do. Something to think about."

 

Oh...

He quickly blinks away the tears threatening to leak, wrapping his arms a little bit tighter around himself. Kelly gives his leg a squeeze, saying nothing more.

* * *

Denning leaves the office in a huff, not sparing the Soldier another glace as he leaves.

He's still sitting on the couch, with Kelly idling chatting at him. It wasn't anything he had to respond to, but it kept his mind occupied which he was immensely thankful to Kelly for.

 

A few minutes later both McGarrett and Williams exit from the office, to be met by Kalakaua with coffee.

McGarrett takes his with a sigh before heading towards the Soldier. There's a glint of stubbornness in his eyes, something that the Soldier recognizes in his gut but wouldn't be able to tell you why, as he sits next to him.

"Denning's not going to win on this. You're not going to be locked up. Not if I have anything to say about it."

The Soldier looks up at McGarrett, studying the other super Soldier warily. McGarrett seems sincere, something that still surprises him even though the others have told him about McGarrett's protective streak, so he nods. He still doesn't believe that he deserves this kindness, but something tells him that McGarrett is going to give it to him whether he likes it or not.

Williams sits on his other side, smiling softly at him. "Come on, we've got some time before we have to plan the first raid on HYDRA. Max and I want to run by you some ideas for your new arm." She grabs his metal arm, pulling him up before dragging him off to the HQ labs.

* * *

The next few weeks pass in a blur for him. When he's not spending time with Grace and Max in the lab (both working day and night to exam his old arm in order to develop a new one) he finds himself spending time with Mc-Steve. Steve takes him to different spots on the island, sometimes accompanied by Kono or Chin, and slowly introduces him to Steve's favorite things in Hawaii. So far he has tried shaved ice and shrimp curtsey of Kamekona (the man was a library of information dealing with the criminal underground). Kamekona took one look at him the first visit before piling his plate high with rice and shrimp. ("Lil Haole is too skinny. He needs to bulk up more McGarrett."). It's his first positive interaction with someone not from 5-0. If Kamekona knows who he is it doesn't bother the large man whatsoever, the man's calm and chill attitude relaxes him whenever they visit.

He's slowly regaining some of his memories, both good and bad. It'll hit him at the weirdest times, always glimpses of his past. Sometimes it comes in the form of night terrors, on those nights Steve holds him close as he shakes. He's not sure how the super soldier knows, but he's always there as soon as he wakes up from the nightmare. Neither of the men sleep after that. Sometimes they just sit together in silence, others they go out to the living area and distract themselves with the TV, and sometimes he'll share with Steve. Those nights are rare and few between, but when he does share it always has him feeling lighter the next day.

Grace also has a knack for knowing when he's had a bad night. She'll greet him in the morning with a hug and a kiss on his forehead. Those days both Grace and Steve will stick close to his side.

 

He's sitting in the lab with Grace, Max, and Chin one day when it happens. Grace and Max are bantering back and forth about whether to include a hand cannon on his arm. Chin is watching, extremely entertained, as he cleans his bows and arrows.

"Common Max, Danno deserves something cool." Grace whined.

"While it would be 'cool' as you say Grace, it would also be impractical and, dare I say, impossible to achieve" Max reminds her.

Grace full on pouts, despite knowing it would have no effect on the good doctor. But the silliness of it all makes him warm. Someone is laughing, and it takes him a minute to realize that the sound is coming from him.

All three heads turn to him in various stages of shock/surprise, as his laugh tapers off in his own state of shock. He can feel his cheeks turn red and ducks his head. "Sorry."

Grace is the first to shake out of her stupor and grabs his hand to give a squeeze. "Don't be. It's good to hear you laugh again." He looks up at her hesitantly to find tears in her eyes.

"Agreed, it's a good sound for you brah." Chin adds, a grin on his face.

He's not sure how the hell he managed to end up where he is, but he's forever grateful for this group of people. They've held his hand for each step of his recovery, not once pushing or frustrated with him.

 

Max is the first to break the moment, stealthily wiping his eyes. "Have you given anymore thought as to what you'd like us to call you?"

He frowns, hesitant. "Yeah, a little..." He looks at Grace, who gives him a nod of encouragement. "I think I'd like to be called Daniel. I don't think I'll ever completely be 'Danny' like I used to be, but Daniel sounds...nice."

"That's perfectly fine, Daniel. No one is expecting for you to be the person you were in the past. You've been through experiences that change a person. As long as you are comfortable with who you are, that's all that matters." Chin says, Max and Grace nodding with him.

 

Later that evening, Grace pulls him aside. She has a look of determination on her face that makes him wary.

"I..." She starts, frowning. "I know I've been calling you Danno every now and then, and I'm sorry I didn't think to ask you this sooner, but do you want me to stop? Because I can if you don't want to be called that, your feelings are all that matter and-" He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"I don't mind when you call me Danno." He admits. "It's... nice."

The smile that Grace gives him could light up cities with how bright it is. She pulls him into a hug that he returns with the same vigor.

* * *

He's not allowed out on the field quite yet. Not until his new arm is ready to go. He already went through the process of getting his old metal arm separated from his body in a series of surgeries that spanned a few weeks. Max consulted with some specialty doctors from the mainland, as his arm attachment was more complicated than they originally thought. The docs want another week of healing before Grace and Max can begin the process of attaching their new arm. Until then he's down to one arm, with a cap bandage covering his stump, and it's messing with his balance.

But he's allowed to run comms during the 5-0 missions, and he's grateful for it. It gives him a sense of purpose. And it's helpful for 5-0 to have another super soldier calling shots, the augmented serum Daniel was given sharpened his mind just like Steve's. 5-0 is slowly brining down HYRDA's operations, something Daniel knows Wo Fat can't be happy about, and his intel has been a contributing factor to a lot of the missions' success. It's only because of his usefulness that Denning has allowed him to freely operate with the team, but Daniel worries for the day Denning decides he's had enough. He knows that Steve and the rest of 5-0 would protect him, but he doesn't want for his new friends to have to do that for him. Especially since 5-0's relationship with Denning is already so strained.

They know that Denning is planning on adding another member to the team, someone who will spy on 5-0 for the Governor. But other than a name, Lori Weston, they don't know much about the analyst.

 

Either way, it's not something Daniel is too concerned about right this moment. 5-0's next mission is crucial. They finally got movement on Sang Min, and the operation to capture Wo Fat's lieutenant is going down today. Both himself and Steve were a ball of nerves this morning, bad enough that Kono joked that they needed to go let off some steam in the bedroom before the mission.

There's a tension between Steve and him, something that has been building since Daniel first started to remember. But he skirted around the edge of it, too scared to put a name to what it actually was (love) and unwilling to risk losing what he's gained. Steve seemed content to allow Daniel to continue avoiding the matter. (Maybe he was oblivious or maybe he too was scared of pushing for something Daniel wasn't ready for). But the rest of 5-0 had picked up on it and teased them relentlessly for it.

 

So far, the mission was going smoothly. 5-0 and HPD were in position, waiting for Sang Min to arrive at the safehouse they were watching. Daniel has eyes on the team from HQ, through Grace's helmet as well as HPD's tactical cameras. It took him a good two weeks with Chin to learn how to work the supercomputer, he blames his goofy thumb(s), but now that he has it down it's a breeze. He swipes up and the satellite map comes onto the big screen.

"Thermal shows about ten signatures. It looks like Sang Min brought some thugs for protection."

"Roger that Daniel. Hawkeye, do you have eyes on Sang Min?" Steve's voice flooded the comms.

"Affirmative Captain, he's in the study alone."

"Where's the other heat signatures at?"

"Three in the living room, two in the kitchen, one's right outside the study, and the other three are patrolling along the border. I'm sending the signal to your display, Iron Woman."

"Gotcha, thanks Danno."

"Cap, HPD is ready to strike."

"Copy that Widow. Tell HPD we're moving in on my mark."

 

After that the comms become a blur of chatter as 5-0 breaches the safehouse. Daniel does what he can to aid, calling when the thugs are moving or when Sang Min starts to make a break for it. But the mission unfolds before his eyes until Steve's voice comes through the comms.

 "I've got Sang Min. It's over."

He releases a breath he didn't know he was holding, the stress leaving his body.

 

But whatever the team was saying next is lost to him as his hearing picks up on the clack of heels outside of the glass doors. He doesn't recognize the sound as anyone he knows, so it must finally be Ms. Weston.

"Ms. Weston? I'm Daniel Williams, welcome to 5-0's HQ." Daniel turns to meet Weston, who has stopped right in front of him with a frown on her face. He can't shake the feeling he's seen her before. "Steve and the rest of the team will be back in the next half-hour or so. They just wrapped up a mission."

"Yes, well I'm not here for them Daniel, is that what you call yourself now? Or should I call you Soldier?"

He freezes at her voice, backing up only to run into the tech table. Her eyes are cold and calculating as his mind puts together where he's seen her before.

 

Shit. Lori Weston is HYRDA.

 

"Stay the fuck away from me." Damn he really wished he was allowed to have a weapon on him, but that was one rule Denning refused to budge on. With only one arm he was a serious disadvantage.

"Now, now, no need to misbehave. Wo Fat is very displeased with the way his weapon has been acting, you don't want to incite even more anger by continuing to disobey."

 

Daniel's brain switched into survival mode. His exit was being blocked; Weston didn't come alone. The windows were surrounded while he was distracted by Weston, and the only door leading to an exit opened to reveal even more HYDRA agents.  He bared his teeth in a snarl, body tensing for a fight. His team's worried voices filled the comms, but he couldn't give them any attention less HYDRA catches him distracted. 5-0 knew he was in trouble; they'd come for him.

"I'm not going to go back willingly."

Weston sighs, as if she's bored by this interaction. "Very well, have it your way."

 

There's a whizzing sound in the air and he ducks, avoiding a dart to the neck by inches. After that all hell breaks loose as Daniel begins the fight for his life and freedom.

Even without his arm he's a dangerous threat, and one that HYRDA is underestimated. Half of the men Weston has brought are down, probably dead, as Daniel takes advantage of the fact that the goons won't harm HYDRA's precious weapon.

He sees an opening and makes a break for it. If he can get outside, he'll have a better chance of disappearing. But before he can get far, he feels a prick on his back and his legs give out on him as he hits the ground hard. Damn tranq dart.

 

"Pick him up." A new voice sounds out. Daniel would recognize it anywhere, and it sends shivers down his spine in fear. He's lifted by two goons to face Dr. Hesse. The man is observing him like he's a broken toy. Hesse grabs his chin, forcing his head in different directions as Daniel is examined, tsking.

Daniel may not have the ability to move his body, but he knows from past experience that his mouth can work just fine. He spits on Hesse's face and gets backhanded for his efforts.

"It's a damn shame, I'm going to have to practically start all over again with you, pet. Once Wo Fat has had his fun punishing you that is. You know he doesn't take failure or disobedience very lightly."

Fear jolts through him. He can't go back, not again please.

 

"Muzzle him, then bring him out to the car. We don't have much time before 5-0 will be back."

Nonononononononono. Daniel struggles, but his body won't respond as his mask is placed over his mouth once more. Weston approaches him with a needle in her hands. She jabs it into his neck, and he can feel the drug flow into him, making him sluggish. Someone drapes him over their shoulder as he loses the battle to stay conscious.

* * *

He comes to with a jolt. For a moment he's confused until the events at 5-0's HQ come back in a jumble. Shit. He tries to move, but finds his arm and legs strapped to a chair. Shit it's his chair. Daniel takes a deep breath, pushing down the panic that threatens to overwhelm him.

"Look who's finally awake."

Shit. Wo Fat.

 

The head of HYRDA emerges from the shadows in front of him. Wo Fat hovers inches away from his face, as if he's trying to assess Daniel's worthiness.

"I must commend Commander McGarret. He only had a month with my weapon, and yet the damage he inflicted will set back progress decades."

Daniel bares his teeth at the man, not pleased with being referred to as Wo Fat's weapon.

"Now, now, none of that." Wo Fat grabbed his chin, forcing it up so Daniel's eyes met his. "I forgot how feisty you were at the beginning, can't say I missed it."

A smirk grows on his face. "Although I will enjoy re-breaking you. Maybe this time I'll record it and send it to McGarrett. Let him watch your pain as I strip you back down to the weapon you're meant to be."

"5-0 will come for me."

Wo Fat's grin grows as he pats Daniel's cheek. "Oh, don't worry Soldier. I plan on it."

 

Daniel felt his eyes widen at Wo Fat's admission.

"5-0 has been a thorn in HYDRA's side for too long. They'll come for you, and it will be the last thing they do. I get my weapon back and destroy 5-0. Two birds with one stone."

Wo Fat picks up a familiar red book, as well as a remote. He presses the button and pain floods Daniel. Daniel grits his teeth, unwilling to give Wo Fat the satisfaction of hearing his screams.

"You will be punished for your disobedience. Then re-written, perhaps this time I will embed a kill-code into your mind. After all, it's not like you or 5-0 figured out the programing hidden away in your head. And I'd rather not go through the trouble of losing and re-programing my weapons again."

 

Shit. Programing. He's screwed.

 

"Shall we begin?" Wo Fat asks gleefully, his eyes holding a cold joy in them.

Daniel could only hope Steve and the others will find him in time.

* * *

Pain fills his senses the next time he's conscious. After days spent with Wo Fat's tortures, he's not sure how much more his body can handle. He's learned not to put up any resistance unless he wants his punishment to be worse that visit. Sometimes Wo Fat will visit just to hear him scream, something the man gets sick pleasure from.

He's weak, breaking easily under the head of HYDRA's thumb. But he's so damned tired of it all, he hopes that Wo Fat will make a mistake that kills him. At least then he'll be free of it all.

He hopes that 5-0 won't come for him. He doesn't deserve it, and he doesn't want them in danger because of him

Hesse fitted him with a new arm yesterday. This one more powerful than his old arm, and more painful. Now they are able to shock him via the arm, and with the conductivity of the metal it's a pain like none other.

 

He's brought out of his thoughts with the sound of the door opening to his cell. After that first visit, he had been thrown into a prison cell instead of his chair, and it's where he has stayed. Wo Fat emerges with Dr. Hesse in tow. Both men's eyes were on him as he put his head down to stare at the floor.

 

"I believe you've had your fun Wo Fat. But I'd like to have HYDRA's weapon back now. I want to see its new arm in action against McGarrett, and we both know that 5-0 will be here any day now."

Wo Fat sighs, irked. "I suppose you’re right doctor. Prep him for his wiping, but don't start until I get there. I want to record so McGarrett can watch every minute of his suffering."

"Very well." Hesse says as two of their goons lift him off of the ground.

Wo Fat's men are doing most of the lifting, as his legs are unable to hold any of his weight right now. They carry him to a familiar room, and deposit him to his chair.

 

He doesn't fight as the straps are secured on his arms and legs, and the gag is forced into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he knows what's coming next and is unable to do anything about it. He morns for the memories he's about to lose and the people he got to know. Maybe this time when he's forced to fight 5-0, they will put him out of his misery once and for all.

The metal plate is placed over his right eye, and he feels the other rest against his skull.

Wo Fat stands next to Hesse, and with a nod Hesse starts the machine up.

His head explodes with pain, then he knows no more.

* * *

He knows his mission. Commander McGarrett and his super taskforce will be storming HYDRA's base only to fall into Wo Fat's trap.

Wo Fat has warned the Soldier that the taskforce will attempt to plead with him. That he cannot be weak again like he was while in their captivity.

He cannot fail this time around.

* * *

The Soldier is waiting in the shadows up above, rifle in hand, while Wo Fat is visible in the room.

The intruder alarm is blaring, which means that 5-0 is here and close.

 

As if on cue the door is blasted open with an explosion and McGarrett, Williams, and Kalakaua rush into the room. Kelly must be lurking elsewhere in the shadows, readying his bow.

McGarrett is furious, in fact the entire team is radiating anger. Wo Fat must have had the video played in another room for them. Good. (But his stomach lurches at that thought for some reason.) Anger will unbalance them and cause them to make errors.

"Where. Is. He." McGarrett growls as Wo Fat smirks at his enemy.

"And here I thought you were here for me." Wo Fat taunts.

"What did you do to him." Williams demands. Ignoring Wo Fat's taunts.

"Why, do you want to say hello to daddy? Or was it Danno?"

 

Danno…. That name sounded familiar... Focus! The Soldier softly growled to himself. He will not be weak again.

 

Kalakaua placed an arm on Williams to keep her from charging forward.

"We won't ask again. Where is he?"

"He's right where he's supposed to be. By my side."

 

That's his cue. He aims and fires, hitting McGarrett in the shoulder with his bullet. McGarrett goes down hard, and the two remaining supers curse. They form a perimeter around their leader. The Soldier squares up for another shot when his rifle is knocked out of his hands by an arrow. It clatters on the railing, useless. He growls, looking for Kelly.

Ah, there he is. The Soldier disappears into the shadows and sneaks up towards Kelly. Below McGarrett has recovered enough to defend himself against Wo Fat's attacks, both Williams and Kalakaua busy fighting Wo Fat’s men.

Kelly ducks to avoid his arm but is unprepared for the kick he sends his way afterwards. The archer falls back with a grunt, before attacking him with his baton. Kelly is an excellent fighter, but the Soldier is superior in both strength and strategy. He feints a jab that Kelly falls for, and instead grabs the archer by his shirt and throws him off of the balcony.

Kalakaua breaks Kelly's fall as both are knocked to the ground.

 

The Soldier jumps to the lower level. His eyes are focused on the fight between Wo Fat and McGarrett and Williams. Wo Fat is the first to spot him, and with a smirk, he aims a well-placed kick that sends McGarrett tumbling right to the Soldier.

McGarrett dodges his first punch, his eyes widen once he realizes whose attacking him.

"Danno no."

The Soldier freezes at the use of that name again, but he recovers quickly to attack McGarrett once more.

But McGarrett is ready and catches his punch, twisting the Soldier until his arm is behind his back. "Common Danno, don't do this man."

"Quit calling me that." The Soldier growls, struggling to get out of McGarrett's hold.

"No. You gotta remember Daniel, I won't let Wo Fat do this to you again. You know me. And more importantly, you know her." McGarrett motions towards Williams, who is somehow holding her own against Wo Fat with Kelly and Kalakaua's assistance.

"You know Grace. That's your daughter Danny. She needs her Danno back. I need you back. Don't let Wo Fat and Hesse win."

He was shaking now, barrages of memories threatening to break through. He knew that woman, he knows McGarrett...

 

"No!" Wo Fat's voice breaks through. The man is snarling, as he stares at him and McGarrett. The other members of the taskforce have him backed into a corner with no way to reach the Soldier or McGarrett. "If I can't have my weapon, no one can."

The Soldier looks up to see Wo Fat smirking at McGarrett. The HYDRA head lowers his gaze to meet the Soldier.

"Shelburne."

 

The Soldier hears McGarrett’s voice demanding what Wo Fat just did. But it's distant, as if he's underwater. He's staring at Wo Fat blankly, the man's smirk disappearing as Williams blasts him with her hand gauntlets.

McGarrett is talking to him, but he has no idea what is being said as he feels his body go limp in the Commander's hold.

Everything goes dark.

* * *

He's vaguely aware of events happening around him. Hushed voices, and movement, familiar timbers that he cannot place. But he can't pull himself to consciousness so instead he floats in this half state.

"Unsure.... some kind....programing...kill switch...don't know... if he can...wake up."

"Need... careful... don't know... other commands... hidden."

"Wo Fat... kill him."

"No... alive...gain answers...maybe...undo what he...."

"...can't lose... not again...gotta be a way."

 

"Danno."

* * *

When he finally awakens, he finds himself in a medical room. The smell of disinfectant is strong, and the steady beep of the heart monitor is somewhat soothing. Something shifts in the corner of his eye and he realizes that he's not alone. Slumped over on the side of his bed is Steve. The commander is asleep with his head buried in his arms, one hand resting on top of his own hand.

 

"You're awake."

He flinches, startled eyes meeting Kono's. Her face is blank, cold, eyes assessing him.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He bites his lip, memory foggy.

 

Shit.

 

He lets out a shaky gasp as the events play out in his mind. Shit shit shit shit. Wo Fat got to him again and had easily broken and reprogrammed him. He hurt his friends, he hurt Steve. They probably hate him for being so weak-

A petite hand rests on his leg, giving it a squeeze, and brings him back to reality. Kono is hovering near him with a comforting smile. "Do you know who I am?"

He nods. "Yeah... I remember...." He tilts his head.  "But how? Wo Fat he- that word. I couldn't move or even think... it...just shut me down." He's shaking again, too much on his mind.

Kono's face softens even more. "It's a kill switch. Something Wo Fat had in case you ever escaped his clutches again. Theoretically he'd have a word to snap you out of it and then be able to reprogram you once more. Once we figured out that that bastard left commands imbedded in your mind, Max was able to find a way to clean them out. After that it was up to you whether you woke back up again."

He can't take her concern and care, he doesn't deserve it, and looks down at his blanket. "I'm sorry."

Kono raises an eyebrow. "What for?"

What for?! "I-I wasn't strong enough to resist, to fight." He wrapped his arms around himself. "And you all got hurt because of it, because of me."

"Hey. You have nothing to apologize for, that's all on Wo Fat. You were just as much of a victim of his plots as we were."

He squeezes his eyes shut, shaking his head.

 

Kono sighs, leaning forward in the chair. "Before we were able to get to you, there was a room with a screen that we were locked in for a moment. It... well Wo Fat recorded everything he did and played it on that screen." She is squeezing his leg again. "And believe me, Daniel. You're not weak, quite the opposite in fact. You fought til' the bitter end brah. A lesser man would have broken within the first hour of what that son of a bitch put you through. I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner."

He doesn't say anything, but Kono takes his other hand and gives it a squeeze. "No one here blames you Daniel. We're all just happy to have you back."

Danny opens his mouth, but movement on his right stops him in his tracks. Steve stirs awakened by the conversation he and Kono were having. Steve blinks, before his eyes widen as they meet Daniel's.

"Danno! You're awake."

Daniel gives Steve's hand a squeeze and smiles softly. "Hey Steve."

Kono pats his shoulder once more before she slips out of the room, giving the two men some time alone.

 

Steve sits up, still holding Daniel's hand. "What do you remember?"

Daniel's smile falters. "Most of everything that happened. Steve, 'm so sorry."

Steve frowns. "Hey, none of that. Nothing that happened was your fault. I should be the one apologizing."

Daniel raised his eyebrows, confused.

"I should have vetted Weston better. Instead she had access to Iolani palace, and to you. And you got hurt because of it."

 

"Steve-"

 

Steve shook his head. "No, I promised to keep you safe and I failed. So, I'm sorry Daniel. I'm sorry you got recaptured, and I'm sorry we didn't save you in time."

Daniel gave Steve's hand another squeeze. "But I'm here, and if it weren't for you and 5-0, I would still be in HYDRA's clutches.  You didn't fail me Steve. I... kinda feel like I failed you."

Steve's head jerked up. "And why the hell would you say that?"

"I... Wo Fat... He tore me apart like it was nothing. By the time they got around to wiping me... I was hoping 5-0 would just put me out of my misery..."

Steve didn't say anything, instead Daniel found himself being dragged into a bone crushing hug. He buries his head in the crook of Steve's neck, as both men silently shook.

 

"Look at us, we're quite a pair aren't we buddy? I blame myself; you blame yourself." Steve says as he pulls away to look Daniel in the eyes.

Daniel let out a snort. "Guess we'll have to agree to disagree."

Steve smiles. "Yeah, guess so.... I'm so glad you're back Danno."

He can't help but return Steve's smile. "I'm glad to be back, Steve."

* * *

It takes a few weeks, but things began to return to normal around 5-0's HQ. (Or at least what qualifies as normal for 5-0). Wo Fat was under lock and key in a maximum supervillain prison. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. But Hesse was in the wind, with 5-0 attempting to track him down. Most of HYDRA was in shambles, a lot of 5-0's missions merely cleanup now. 

Denning has backed off about locking Daniel up, especially once Steve reminded him that it was his fault that Lori Weston had access to 5-0's HQ in the first place. (Denning had turned a surprising shade of pink at that and had mumbled an apology for not recognizing Weston as HYDRA.)

Max was able to undo the damage Hesse did on Daniel, and successfully removed the new arm the HYDRA doctor had given him. Today was the day that Grace and Max were giving him his new arm. Grace has made sure to keep the design top secret, making sure the reveal would be a surprise for Daniel.

 

"Close your eyes Danno, and no peaking!" Grace scolded, as Daniel raised his hand in surrender.

"Alright, alright. They're closed."

Grace giggled. He could hear the clicks of a case being opened.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

 

Daniel did as he was told and let out a small gasp once his eyes landed on the arm. It was sleek, a simple black design. It looked lighter than his old arm.

 

"It's beautiful Gracie."

Grace beamed. "It's made of vibranium, courtesy of our friends in Wakanda. It's a fraction of the weight of your old arm, which will help your balance and allow for none of the metal supports that Hesse had in your arm and back. There's a port it connects to, so you can actually take this one off if you want, and it allows for a smoother connection to your nerve cells so no more constant pain. Unfortunately, we couldn't include the pulse cannon, but the arm has a tracker just in case. And as a bonus, it comes with a camouflage mode that will mimic the sight and feel of flesh. We've already integrated the port to your arm, so all that's left is to connect this bad boy and calibrate it."

Daniel smiles at her, giving a nod. He sat on top of one of the medical beds so Grace and Max could have a better position to work on his arm.

Steve, Kono, and Chin stood off to the side. All three had smiles on their faces when he looked over.

There was a click, as Max attached the arm. And Daniel let out a gasp as he gained feeling in the new arm.

 

"Alright, hold still while I calibrate." Grace pulled up a hollo screen, typing away and doing things Daniel would never understand. God, his daughter was a genius.

There was silence for a few minutes while Grace worked, until she swiped and dismissed the screen.

"There, all done! Give it a whirl."

He looked down at the arm, wiggling the fingers. The arm responded with no hesitation. He opened and closed his hand next with the same response. Finally, he moved his arm, making windmill motions and then up and down to test his range.

"It's nice, there's no lag like my old one. Feels real." He looked over at Grace and Max, eyes watering. "Thank you."

Grace engulfed him in a quick hug. "You're welcome." Max smiled and nodded, giving Daniel a pat on the shoulder. Grace stepped away, and Steve took her place. He took Daniel's metal hand in his and Daniel shivered at the touch, finally able to feel the weight of Steve's hand in his.

"You ready Daniel?"

He smiles at Steve, who responds to Daniel's smile with one of his own giving Daniel a weird feeling churning around in his stomach.

He knew Steve only meant if he was ready to leave the med-bay and join the rest of the team for lunch. But as Daniel looked at the super soldier, he realized that his answer was for more than just getting lunch. He was ready to take his life back. To be a full member of 5-0, to continue discovering who he was now without HYDRA's control, and maybe even begin exploring this new thing with Steve.

 

"Yeah, I think I am."

 


End file.
